Staff Writer at MP.
"Holy cow, Rick! I didn't know hanging out with you was making me smarter!"
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Was there any doubt that a Keanu Reeves comeback was fully on track? With only a week to go before Hollywood's nicest A-lister returns to gun fu form with John Wick: Chapter 2, Lionsgate, who produce the John Wick franchise, have also picked up another one of Reeves's upcoming projects: Rally Car.

The film will star Reeves in the lead role as a self-absorbed NASCAR driver who has fallen on hard times. In an attempt to get both his personal life and his professional life back to some semblance of equanimity, Reeves's character participates in a high stakes international race race across China.

Directed by Oliver Megaton — who has worked on the Taken franchise — the film promises to offer something along the lines of John Wick meets Speed, with Reeves striking an unlikely driving partnership with a young Chinese woman who has aspirations of becoming a professional driver herself.

#KeanuReeves is more than adept at playing the aloof-yet-personable leading man, and Lionsgate will have taken enough inspiration from John Wick to pick up the rights, which they did at the start of the Berlin Film Festival. President of acquisitions and co-productions at Lionsgate, Jason Constantine, said:

"We are thrilled to be in business once again with Keanu Reeves, who is extraordinary in the John Wick franchise, and we believe ‘Rally Car’ has tremendous potential to see Keanu in action once again, this time behind a steering wheel."

Keanu Reeves in 'John Wick' [Credit: Summit Entertainment]

As well as leading the way, Reeves will help produce the film with his production Company, Company Films, who also helped produced the recent Oscar-nominated sci-fi Passengers — a film that Reeves worked on for a decade before the role went to Chris Pratt.

How 'Rally Car' Can Add To NASCAR Folklore

For those unfamiliar, NASCAR racing is an auto-racing sport that is most popular in the US, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Taking place on speedway tracks, stock cars often reach speeds in excess of 200mph, with races ranging from anywhere between 200 and 600 miles in distance.

Tom Cruise in 'Days of Thunder' [Credit: Paramount Pictures]

#RallyCar won't be the first feature film to take on the subject, with Days of Thunder (1990) perhaps being the most well-known, starring Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle, a young racing driver who dreams of making it big. The sports comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby also focuses on the sport, with Will Ferrel's character Ricky Bobby becoming a leading NASCAR driver.

The premise of the an action film with Reeves behind the wheel is an easy enough sell for most people. With the actor's scene-stealing, understated charisma and his cult status amongst many cinema-lovers, there's every chance Lionsgate may've picked up a gem.